Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

XI Brigade RFA


malch

Recommended Posts

Can anyone help !

The MIC of a gunner relative, 45660 Ernest Peter Hole, a regular with the R.F.A., states entry into theatre "Egypt" 1st April 1915. The 1911 census has him at St Thomas Mount, India, with 85th Battery RFA. As far as I can make-out, 85th Btty was part of XI Brigade RFA and was stationed in India before the war - I think it was with the 6th (Poona) Division and served in Mesopotamia in 1915-1916.

Can anyone tell me if any of this is correct and what happened to the Brigade after 1916 ?

Thanks in advance

M

Link to comment
Share on other sites

85th Battery. (Regular). 04 Aug 1914 at Jubbulpore in the XI Brigade, 5th (Indian) Division - Regimental War Path 1914-18

XI Brigade = Originally T Battery RHA, in Abbassia, Egypt, and U Battery RHA in Lucknow, India. T moved to XIV Brigade in December 1914, and U joined the Lucknow Brigade in the 1st Indian Cavalry Division. - Long, Long Trail

Problem is they don't seem to match up. About to have dinner so will have another look later.

Andrew

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Tephrite and Andrew

They don't match up because they are two different brigades: XI Bde RHA (T and U Batts), and XI Bde RFA (83, 84, 85 Batts). Both of them were serving in India in 1914.

Originally part of the Mhow (5th Indian) Division), XI Bde RFA went to France with the Lahore (3rd Indian) Division in Nov 1914. It stayed in France when most of the Lahore Division left for the Middle East in Dec 1915, being attached to 3rd Canadian Div, then in Aug 1916 to 4th Canadian Div, and in Septb 1917 it became an Army (i.e. unattached) FA Bde. It served on the Western Front from Nov 1914 to the end of the war.

X Bde RFA (63, 76, 82 Batts) was part of the Poona (6th Indian) Div and went to Mespot. Most of the men were captured at Kut-al-Amara in April 1916.

An entry date of 1 April 1915 for Egypt suggests that he was in a different battery in India in Aug 1914 and joined the newly formed 29th Division for service in Gallipoli.

Not much more I can give you as to which other battery he joined, I'm afraid.

Ron

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ron, you are quiet correct. Obviously I was in too much of a hurry to have my dinner and clicked the wrong link on the LLT website :wacko:

Tephrite, maybe the Canadian Collection's library can help you learn more as the 11th Brigade War Diaries are available online at:

11th Brigade RFA, Lahore War Diary for Sept/Oct 1916 available here (includes HQ for the same period) - http://data4.collectionscanada.gc.ca/netacgi/nph-brs?s1=11th+brigade&s13=&s12=&l=20&s9=RG9&s7=9-52&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESOFF&Sect4=AND&Sect5=WARDPEN&Sect6=HITOFF&d=FIND&p=1&u=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/02015202_e.html&r=6&f=G

11th Brigade RFA, War Diary for Nov 1915 to July 1917 available here - http://data4.collectionscanada.gc.ca/netacgi/nph-brs?s1=11th+brigade&s13=&s12=&l=20&s9=RG9&s7=9-52&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESOFF&Sect4=AND&Sect5=WARDPEN&Sect6=HITOFF&d=FIND&p=1&u=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/02015202_e.html&r=8&f=G

Hope I have redeemed myself :innocent:

Andrew

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all that. I was confused by the LLT entry regarding XI Bgde. I did wonder about April 1915 and a possible link with Gallipoli, but was put-off by the fact that other relatives of mine who served in the Dards had "Balkans" as their theatre. However, they were 52 Div. and didn't go via Egypt in any case.

For sure, the information about 85 Batt. dates from the 1911 census, so I guess there is no reason to assume her served with them in 1914. His service records does not survive and the MIC, of course, does not carry any hint as to his unit. I guess the medal roll at Kew will have his unit details for the 1914-15 Star, but it's a long way from Aberdeen to Kew !

Thanks again.

M

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Hello Tephrite. I am granddaughter of Ernest Peter Hole. I am living in Australia and my Dad and I are trying to put together the pieces of grandads' life. Maybe we can work together to fill in some of the gaps.

Jolman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...